Britain can lead green revolution

BRITAIN can be the global leader in the green industrial revolution, creating thousands of jobs and providing a major boost to the economy,alok Sharma has said.

Writing for the Sunday Express today, Mr Sharma – presidentdesignate of COP26, the UN’S climate change conference – said the Glasgow summit in November can put Britain in the front seat of the next wave of clean technology.

He said: “The good news is that fighting climate change benefits us today, by creating good quality jobs and cleaning-up our air.

“Last year, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced plans for the UK’S Green Industrial Revolution to support a quarter of a million jobs, particularly in our proud industrial heartlands.

“The UK is recognised around the world as a leader on climate action. We have one of the strongest 2030 emissions reduction targets on Earth. Now, we must inspire others to match our ambition.

“As one the largest and one of the most important summits we’ve ever hosted, COP26 is our chance to show the world what a confident, independent Britain can achieve on the global stage.”

The green technological revolution is also one of the top priorities of Mr Sharma’s successor as business secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng. His agenda is to use COP26 as the basis for a new technological push to transform the British economy following Brexit and the worst of the coronavirus pandemic.

He told the Sunday Express: “This [the green agenda] is one of the reasons we are in a better place than we were even six months ago.”

Meanwhile, Mr Sharma will visit Japan tomorrow as he begins an urgent round of diplomacy ahead of COP26. He will use the trip to discuss climate leadership before Thursday’s US Leaders Summit on Climate and the G7 summit in June. The UK is asking every country to follow its lead in committing to ambitious 2030 emissions reductions targets. It is also asking donor countries to deliver on their commitment to secure $100billion (£72billion) of public finance and unleash the trillions needed to support developing countries and to help meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Mr Sharma said: “The climate crisis is the greatest challenge that we face and it is our duty to address it. There are also great opportunities as we look to build back greener – accelerating our move to a greener future, as we invest in new technologies and create millions of new jobs.”

‘Now we must inspire others’